... is extended to all who have expressed their sympathy and condolences to Brenda and me on the loss of my Mom earlier this week. It's very comforting to know that there are so many people who were so kind to take a few moments out of their busy lives to extend their hand of friendship in our time of sorrow. Below is a copy of the eulogy that was delivered by our lovely daugher Nancy,(of whom we are very proud) to a packed room full of family and friends in attendance at the funeral parlor yesterday.
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My Grandmother
By Nancy Davis

Natalie was my grandmother, and she was also my friend. I’m supposed to tell you what an extraordinary person she was. But you all already know that. She was the most special person and touched the lives of so many people. Even though she was 92, it still seemed too short. I was so lucky to have her in my life. One of the things I’ll really miss is her smile. She always looked at you with adoring eyes and a comforting smile.
I’m also going to miss her cards. She never missed a birthday, or an anniversary. She always sent you a card to let you know she was thinking of you, for whatever reason…new job, new baby, new home, graduation. For my birthday, she always sent the dollar amount equal to my age. And she always got it right. She remembered everything. She was sharp as a tack. And whatever the reason for the card was, she always signed every card the same way: "God loves you and so do I".

I had the honor of taking care of her when she came home from the hospital. She would sleep on and off throughout the day. Those of you that know me, know that I can’t sit still. And if you know me, you also know that I am sort of like “Monk”, and can’t rest if things have to be “straightened up”. If you were ever in Grandma’s apartment or her old house, you would know that she wasn’t like that at all. She saved everything and she put it wherever there was room. She had piles everywhere. So, I figured I would do something nice for her…what I do best… “straighten up”. I kept finding these bags with miscellaneous things in them, mostly cards. I think she had a bag for every day.

I found a small plastic box with dividers labeled with categories: birthday, anniversary, get well, sympathy, blank cards, etc… So I started filing cards for her. I figured that since she enjoyed sending cards to everyone, I would make it a little easier for her next time she was looking for a card. I sat there all afternoon, filing these cards for her. She would wake up every so often and say, “are you still doing that? I’d say yes and she would smile and go back to sleep.
Occasionally, there would be other things mixed in with the cards, like pictures… of a wedding, a baby, family get togethers, loved ones that have passed. I thought about how many people she knew. She must have seen a lot in her life… How many memories she had….how many experiences, how many friends and family that she cared about….

There were also cards that people had sent her that she saved, or I should say… treasured. They said things like: To a special mother…a wonderful grandmother, a dear great-grandmother, a sister, an aunt, a special friend, or thank you for caring...So, not only did she love everyone but they loved her back. That was great.

Also, mixed in with these cards, were other papers like newspaper clippings about her children and their hobbies, her grandchildren and their successes, great grandchildren and their birth announcements, and graduations announcements. There were napkins from baby showers and other parties of celebration. She was so proud of her family, and she loved us so much.
I found meeting minutes from Daughter’s of America, correspondence from the President wishing her a happy birthday, pictures of the American flag, yellow ribbons...I was reminded of her patriotism. She was so proud of her country and she loved her country.

I found her lease renewal for Portland Pointe, letters and cards from her neighbors, pictures of various “get togethers”, pictures of her Halloween costumes. When she was in the nursing home, she had told me that she wanted to go back to the apartment one last time, and she did. She loved her neighbors and they truly loved her.
After I finished, I went to get something in the kitchen. In the kitchen cabinet, I found… another bag of cards, but this had something rolled up inside, wrapped in napkins. I opened it very slowly, wondering what it could be… When I saw what it was, I smiled...red and green pens. Whenever she sent a Christmas card, she took the time to write every other letter in red and green. Do you know how long that must have taken her to do that? I thought, I would never have the time to do that. Probably because I’m too busy straightening up, and organizing things… like cards….

I wound up getting two storage boxes full of cards. She and I laughed about it, and we both agreed that she had more cards than Hallmark and she could have opened a card store. Her cards suddenly became so valuable to me. I sure am going to miss getting those cards.

While I was there with her, people could come to visit. Everyone remarked on what a loving family she had. I thought, of course she does...we learned it from her. We were caring because she taught us to be. They told her how lucky she was to have such a wonderful family. We actually were the lucky ones. Bob, the maintenance man told me that Natalie always complimented him and thanked him for keeping the building so nice. In the hospital, when she was in pain, she still managed to thank the nurses for taking care of her. She thanked the lady that would come every day to dump her garbage. She thanked everyone for everything and she prayed for everyone. She appreciated everyone.

She was a very religious woman and had a strong relationship with God. However, she never forced religion on me. She never judged me or criticized me. She never me told me how I should live my life. She did remind me though, in the most effective way, in all of those cards. “God loves you and so do I”. In her final days, she told me she was sorry that I had to take care of her. I told her it’s ok Grandma, you would do the same for me, if you could. She knodded in agreement, and said, “I would if I could”. Every time I would leave for the night, she would tell me to thank my husband and my kids for sharing me with her. Every night when I left, I would thank God for sharing her with me.

People and experiences that we’ve encountered in our lives make us who we are. Everything someone does, has an effect on someone else. Everything about her was good. She made people feel good about themselves. She brought the best out in people. I know she certainly brought out the best in me.

There’s an old saying: actions speak louder then words. I learned so much from her, and all by her actions. These are some of the things I learned:

Send a card to someone you love.
Tell the people in your life that you love them because it may be the last chance you get to tell them.
Look for the best in people, and compliment them or thank them.
When you send a Christmas card, take the time to write every other letter red and green.
Enjoy what life has to offer.
Treasure every moment and every experience.
Dress up for Halloween no matter how old you are.
Wear silly hats.
Be silly….
Just enjoy life instead of worrying about everything like “straightening up”.
And most of all…smile.

If my Grandma could have told you all one more thing before she left, I know exactly what it would have been…”God loves you and so do I”.

Thank you